Bottle of Red
by whaledreams
Summary: Lisbon encounters a case that reminds her too much of her past - and her erratic behavior is scaring Jane and the rest of the team. Will this be the case that pushes her over the edge once and for all?
1. Memories

**Bottle of Red**

I hope you like it. It's a little different from how they do it on The Mentalist - but the idea has been going around in my mind for a while. This is also my first ff of The Mentalist, so please bear with me and go easy on me if I mess up on the details. But I do love the show!

None of the characters from The Mentalist are mine… I'm just borrowing them. I'll put them back on the shelf when I'm done!

Prologue:

The teenager made her way down the hall to the front door, where someone was knocking loudly on it. She peeked through the window and recognised who it was.

She opened the door a bit.

"He's not here. I don't know where he is."

"He was suppose to meet me here now. Are you sure he's not here?"

"I'm sure. I'm sorry but I have to get supper ready. Can you leave now please? I'll let my father know you're looking for him."

"Did he leave anything for me?"

"I told you …..No! Now please! Leave!" She caught the smell of beer from his breath.

The door flew open with a kick. A hand grabbed her wrist and violently twisted her arm back. She screamed in pain.

"Now. I'm going to ask you again - where is he?"

"I don't know," she sobbed. "Try one of the bars."

"I want what I came for…." and twisted her arm so hard that bones could be heard breaking.

She collapsed in a heap, whimpering. "I don't know what that is. He didn't tell me."

He picked her up and slammed her against the wall. She slowly sunk to the floor.

"Where is it?"

"I don't know…" she screamed.

He turned around and grabbed an empty, glass brandy bottle. Then started to beat her with it.

"No more! Please!"

He pulled her up and forced a kiss on her. "Maybe you can give me something else in return."

Leslie spat on his face, and it trickled down his cheek.

"Go to HELL!"

"I think you should go first," and he wiped the saliva off with his sleeve. He beat her a few more times with the bottle. Once it broke, he slashed her neck and ran out of the house, taking the broken bottle with him.

**Present (Tuesday)**:

It was 4:17 pm as Lisbon drove up to the severely run down house in one of the lower income areas of Santa Cruz. The neighbourhood looked run down, certain suspicious people gathered on some of the corners. She took a few more turns through garbage strewn streets and parked behind Jane's baby blue Citroën DS 21. She exited her car slowly - she was not looking forward to this case. Rigsby came down the battered steps and met her at the end of the broken path.

"Hi boss - We've got a female, age 15, named Leslie Adams. She was brought to the hospital with severe bruising, several broken bones and a slashed neck. They're operating on her now, but they're not sure she'll make it. The father, Jonathon Adams, isn't around at the moment - kids haven't seen him since this morning. We've got a BOLO out for him." The smell of the place assaulted Lisbon as she stepped into the hallway.

"We're still waiting on Social Services to pick up her siblings - they're running behind. There's Ian, he's 6 - Tara's 4 and David is 12. They're in the kitchen with Jane," Van Pelt explained from her corner in the hall.

Lisbon quietly approached the doorway of the kitchen and watched Jane. He had fixed them a snack and given them a glass of milk, trying to set them at ease while asking them questions.

"Leslie always looked after us. She fed us, bought us clothes and protected us from Dad and his friends. I don't know who it was at the door - but she looked kinda worried," David said quietly.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Jane asked gently.

Jeff shrugged his shoulders.

"Not really, she heard someone at the door, and told me to bring the two little ones upstairs. At first I heard shouting, then I heard her screaming in pain. I put the two in the closet, then came downstairs and found her bleeding. That's when I called 911 and tried to stop the bleeding," his voice broke, and a tear ran down his face.

"It's ok David - you did the right thing. You got your sister help."

"I should have helped her more….."

Jane bent down so he was eye level with him. "Hey, you did good. You protected your brother and sister like she told you too. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be okay."

David just nodded his head.

"One more question - do you guys have anyone you can stay with for a few days?"

"Um, there's Becky Tritt and her husband next door." He pointed to the right. "They've babysat us a few times - they might be able to take us in."

"Thanks David, I appreciate your help," and he tousled the hair of all three kids before exiting the room with Lisbon.

"You heard all that?" Jane asked.

"Yes, I did. Thanks. Good job." She walked over to Van Pelt - "Go next door and explain what happened. See if they're willing to take the kids in for a few days."

"Sure boss - no problem," and left the house.

"Where's the mother?" Lisbon asked.

"The mother was hit by a car 3 years ago. She died instantly," Cho volunteered.

They made their way to the living room, and Lisbon was astonished at the scene. She paled a bit when she noticed pieces of a broken liquor bottle, and the floor covered with blood. She glanced around the room, seeing the empty liquor bottles scattered on the floor. There was a half bottle of some cheap brandy sitting on the coffee table, it was the same one her father had drank.

Flashback:

"_Look what you made me do? Can__'__t you do anything right?__"_

"_Daddy! I__'__m sorry, I didn__'__t mean to! Honest!__"_

_Sounds of a bottle hitting the wall, and a slap hitting skin could be heard - then a body hitting the wall, hard!_

"_No more__…__please__…__.no more! I__'__m sorry!__"_

Lisbon felt a hand on her arm and saw that Rigsby was trying to talk to her, but her mind was still stuck in the flashback. Cho and Jane stopped what they were doing and stared.

"Boss? You okay?" he repeated.

"Oh what? Yeah, I'm fine." She shook her head back to the present.

"Keep working here, see what you and Cho can come up with. Then take Van Pelt and go door to door, see if the neighbours saw anything. Also get her to book us some rooms at a local hotel?"

"Sure boss, no problem."

Jane was discreetly watching Lisbon as he snooped around the living room. He noticed the photographs (or lack thereof) and at the father's habitual living spot on the couch, in front of the television set. He also noticed the cracked paint, broken windows, and the holes in the drywall.

"This seems like a case for the local cops. Exactly why were we called to this?" Lisbon queried.

"Actually they are the ones who asked us to take it on - they need the help. They're short of manpower due to budget cuts, and are carrying a full caseload right now. They're also doing patrol at the Santa Cruz County fair. They're setting up their boardroom for us to work from as we speak," Cho replied.

"Let's hurry up and get it off the books then. I'll be at the station."

"Uh, I'm going to go with you - I'm done here," Jane stated.

Lisbon rolled her eyes as she left the room and started walking towards her car with Jane in tow.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Jane."

"Teresa….I know this must bother you."

"I said I'm fine can we just leave it please!" as she slammed the driver's side door.

"You should really talk about it," as he closed his door.

"Do you want to walk?"

"Ah, no - not really."

"Then please, stop."

"But…"

She slammed on the brakes.

"Okay, okay. Shutting up now."

"Thank you," in a loud voice.

The drive continued in silence til Lisbon's phone rang.

"Hey Van Pelt," she greeted as she touched the hands free button.

"Boss - I got us rooms at The Front Bay Inn on Pacific Avenue. It's a 15 minute walk to the police station."

"Thanks."

"Social Services called, they're not able to come right now. They're running about 3 days behind on cases. They had no issues with the kids staying with the neighbours - they've been placed there temporarily before. And the neighbours were more than happy to take in the kids, they can stay as long as necessary. Also, I did the background check. All the kids are clean, but the father, Jonathon, has a prior record. He's had 3 D.U.I's, 5 drunk and disorderly, and 2 assaults. I have an appointment to talk with their social worker tomorrow morning." Lisbon just shook her head.

"Well, someone knows how to attract trouble," Jane smirked.

"I managed to find the father's sister, and the mother's two brothers and sister. Do you want me to call them to update them on the situation or wait to see if the father is guilty?"

"How could he not be guilty…he's a drunk! He has to be…" she quickly corrected herself.

Jane looked at her in surprise at her sudden judgement of guilt. He noticed the car pick up a bit of speed then.

"I mean, why don't we wait for a bit to see what happens when we find the father."

"Okay boss."

"Let me know if you find out anything else."

"Will do."

Ten minutes later they pulled up to the police station. Lisbon introduced herself and Jane and was shown to their work area. Jane looked around and eyed a couch in the corner. The room also came complete with a small kitchenette. Jane plugged in the kettle, while keeping an eye on Lisbon, he was worried. He could tell that this case was already getting to her. He took two mugs out of the cabinet and waited for the water to boil.

The tea kettle whistled and Jane made two cups of tea. He crossed the room to Lisbon and place one in front of her.

"What's this?"

"It's a hug in a cup."

She gave him one of her looks.

"You looked like you could use it."

"Thanks."

"Why are you separating yourself from everyone?"

Lisbon glared at him quizzically.

"What do you mean?"

"You're refusing to make conversation. You're making snap judgements and you've picked a desk on the other side of the room away from everyone."

"I don't let my personal life affect my work!"

"I'm not saying you do. But with this case it's hard not to….and it's perfectly understandable. In fact you remembered something when you first saw the crime scene, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't," she said a little too fast.

"You were a little to quick to deny that. I saw the look on your face, I know that look. I have it every time I encounter Red John at a crime scene."

"I didn't! Just leave it alone Jane!"

"Teresa. Really, are you going to lie to me?"

"I don't have time for this - I've got work to do."

She got up and sat down at one of the computers.

"Lisbon, you need to…."

"Jane, not now. I'm searching for the places where Adams got arrested."

Jane sat and sipped his tea, just watching her.

"Let's see - he got arrested twice at home, three times at Moe's Tavern and once at The Nash. The rest was while he was driving his car."

Cho and Rigsby walk into the office, with Van Pelt following behind them.

"I'm glad you guys are here. I want you to go and check out Moe's Tavern and The Nash. They're Mr. Adams favourite places to frequent. See if he's there."

"Will do Boss," replied Cho.

"Jane and I are going to talk to Allen Jenkins. He was arrested twice with Adams. Van Pelt, I want you to continue to look for other acquaintances or friends of Jonathon."

"Jane, let's go!"

"Coming Lisbon."

Allen Jenkins lived in the south part of Santa Cruz, in one of it's low-income sections. His house, or rather shack, was a three room bungalow strewn with junk auto parts in the front yard. Lisbon knocked on the screened front door, trying to avoid the grease spots.

"YEAH! Hold your horses - I'm coming!"

A man about 45 years old appeared, wearing tattered jeans and a stained shirt, using a cane in his right hand and holding a beer can in his left.

"Whattya want?"

"I'm Teresa Lisbon, this is Patrick Jane - we're with the CBI. We want to ask you a few questions?"

"CBI eh? You gonna arrest me?"

"No sir. We just want to ask you a few questions, that's it."

"Okay then. Just don't call me sir - makes me feel old."

Lisbon and Jane smirked, then entered the shack.

The place was a mess, and the smell was almost unbearable. Dirty dishes piled high in the sink, tools and car parts strewn across the table and the floor, and beer cans could be found everywhere.

Jenkins went back to his Lazy-boy chair and sat down.

"So what can I do for you folks?"

"Do you know a Jonathon Adams?"

"As a matter-of-fact I do! He owes me money and he's also my drinkin' buddy."

"Have you seen him recently?"

"Not since Monday. Told me he was under a lot of stress this week. Apparently, Social Services were going to come by next week for a home visit, and he wanted to get stuff ready."

"Are you aware that Leslie Adams was assaulted earlier today?"

"No. I didn't. Gee that's a shame. Then again, he didn't talk much about his kids. And I don't care for them much myself." His eyes shifted nervously.

"Where were you earlier between 3pm to 4pm today?"

"Here…drinking, by myself."

"When did you start drinking?" Patrick queried.

"As soon as I got up this morning. What's it to you?"

"No, I mean, at what age did you start drinking."

"I started sneaking beers out the fridge when I was 10."

"Was that before or after your father started beating you?"

"It was after…not that it's any of your business!"

"And when did your wife leave you?"

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, you have very few personal effects. The few you do have are pictures dating 5 years ago, and let's face it - this place lacks a woman's touch."

"You son-of-a-bitch! Get out! GET OUT!" Jenkins stood up and started ushering them to the front door. Patrick held up his hands and walked backwards. Lisbon followed him. Jenkins slammed the main, wooden door as they stood on the walk. They turned and started walking towards the car.

"Why did you do that? You've killed our only lead in this case!"

"Actually, he just proved he had something to do with it?"

"What? How"

"He looked guilty when you told him about Leslie. And something the kids said. Leslie saw who was knocking at the door, and told them that no matter what, they were to stay upstairs. Apparently the father wasn't home yet."

"You mean you think the father didn't do it, don't you? So you believe a drunk and a bunch of kids who are probably too scared to go against their father?"

"Lisbon I…"

"No. I don't want to hear it Jane."

"But…."

"Enough already."

He walked to the driver's side of the car. Jane held up his hands. "Alright, fine. Not another word." He made a zipper motion across his lips, then got in.

"Are you hungry? I could use some eggs. Did you want to stop for a bite somewhere along the way?"

"No thanks, I'm not hungry. Let's just get back to the police station, I want to solve this case and get back to Sacramento as fast as possible."

"If you say so."

Jane and Lisbon pulled into the police station. While Lisbon went to update the Chief of Police, Jane went back to the boardroom. Grace was still there, slaving over the computer.

"Any word on the girl Grace?"

"She's still in surgery. Which is a good sign right? Means she's a fighter."

"Yes, it does."

He plugged in the kettle, then searched the mini fridge, and found it fully stocked with sandwiches. He choose a ham and cheese, tore off the wrapping, and starting eating. He passed by Van Pelt's desk and saw the Jonathon Adams file and scooped it up to read.

Van Pelt stopped what she was doing and paused for a minute.

"Jane…does Lisbon seem off to you?"

"Yes, she does Grace. I think this case has already gotten to her."

"Yeah, me too. I'm worried."

"I am too. I think it's going to get worse."

"How?"

"I'm not sure. But I don't think she's going to like how it ends."


	2. Past Reminders

Past Reminders

Thanks for the review moonserenity089 - thanks for the review. Your wish is my command! :) Now I know this part seems a little boring, but it's all background info. It'll pick up in the next chapter, promise! (I'll be posting chapters about every two to three days.)

And as before, The Mentalist group doesn't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them. However, the rest of my characters are mine.

Previous Chapter:

"I am too. I think it's going to get worse."

"How?"

"I'm not sure. But I don't think she's going to like how this ends."

**Chapter 2**

"Where are we?" Lisbon asked as she walked into the boardroom.

"Rigsby and Cho haven't seen him yet. They're staked out at The Nash right now, hoping he'll show up. I heard from the hospital - the girl's still in surgery. I also have a list of about 10 names that are known acquaintances of Mr. Adams. I have addresses for about half of them. Did you want me to start calling them in now?"

Lisbon looked at her watch, it was 8:37 pm.

"You know what, screw it. Call Rigsby and Cho and tell them I want them to stay where they are until he shows up. We have one officer from the Santa Cruz police force, and I'm going to put him on surveillance at the Adams house. We'll start fresh in the morning. By then, all of his so-called friends will be sleeping it off in bed and they'll be easier to find. Just finish getting the addresses for his friends, then go get some sleep at the hotel. You too Jane. I need some personal time, I'll see you all here in the morning at 7 am."

"Night….boss.." Van Pelt said has she saw the back of Lisbon leaving the room.

"Jane…. I don't like this."

"I don't either Grace. We have to just let her be, for now."

Lisbon exited the station and turned right, heading towards the hotel. She found her MP3 player in her pocket, and put on the earphones. She tried to concentrate on the music, but her mind kept drifting back to the case. She knew she jumping the gun at thinking the father was guilty, but it was too close to what she had been through herself. There's no way he couldn't be guilty, is there? Maybe he forgot his keys, and that's why Leslie sent the kids upstairs, so they wouldn't be beaten. She had done it herself several times with her own father. Hidden her younger brothers so that they wouldn't get hit. She could take the beatings, but it tore her apart when her brothers were hit in front of her. She felt like she hadn't protected them enough. And the blood - god there was a lot of blood. How was the girl even still alive after something like that? She herself had barely made it through….a tear ran down her face as the memory came back.

_It was the anniversary of her mother's death, she was 13 years old - and her father decided to tie a good one on. He was yelling and smashing everything that Saturday. She kept her brothers entertained outside, while she tried to clean and repaired clothes inside, as well as catered to her father. She was his "beer wench" or so he affectionately called her. She had to get his beer, and whatever else he wanted when he asked for it, or else. Luckily, one of her father's friends had come over with a few bottles of Jack Daniel's, and they proceeded to drink themselves into oblivion. Lucky, because she was able to ignore them while she made her brothers' supper, then sent them upstairs to the bedroom to watch television. Usually, she was only able to sleep after he passed out. _

"_Make me something to eat, you loser," was the sentence that started it. She had had enough. _

"_I'm not a loser, you are! Do you realize that it was someone like you who killed mom to start with! The only difference is you're not driving!"_

_This statement had made her father snap. Luckily his friend had gone home at this time, so she only had to defend herself against him. He slapped her hard across the face, drawing blood. "_

_You don't think I miss her! That I loved her!" he yelled, as he slammed her into the wall repeatedly. "You dumb bitch! You can be so stupid at times! You're useless!" as he kicked her in the ribs repeatedly, and once in the face. "I ought to get rid of you right now!" as he smashed a Jack Daniels bottle, then held it against her throat. "From now on, I don't want any more backtalk…" She raised in her arm to protect herself, and he sliced her forearm with the broken glass. "I've had enough of this - I don't need this, I'm going out. Make sure this mess is cleaned up by the time I get back… or else."_

_He got up and left. She took the tea towel off her shoulder and wrapped it around her forearm to stop the blood. She tried to stand up, but found that the room spun, so she stayed sitting on the floor. Her oldest brother Tommy came down and helped stop the bleeding on her arm, then cleaned up the mess her father made, in case he came back early. _

"_Reese - it's okay. It's going to be okay. He's gone for now. Let me help you." He mopped up the blood, swept up the broken glass, and put the empty bottles in the trash. Then he focussed on Teresa. He wrapped her ribs, then helped her up to her bedroom to sleep. The next day, her father didn't remember a thing that had happened, and denied that he even laid a hand on her. _

Lisbon looked up and realized she was five blocks past the hotel. She sighed in frustration as she turned around and started making her way back. She wiped the tears streaming down her face, and tried to get her mind focused on the case. She never told anyone what had happened, fearing they wouldn't believe her. It had been a secret kept between her and Tommy, and always would be, if she had anything to say about it. She actually hadn't thought about that incident for years, not until she had seen the crime scene this afternoon. Had it only been a few hours? It felt so much longer that that. She thought about calling Bertram to have herself removed from the case - but feared what her team would think of her. Not to mention that Bertram would probably remove her permanently if he thought that she was capable of handling an assault case. She didn't want to be known as weak, she could handle this. She just didn't know how she would handle it right now. As she concentrated on getting to the hotel, she neglected to see the baby blue Citroën DS 21that was following her about half a block behind.

Jane had been worried about Lisbon all day. He knew the crime scene had brought up bad memories for her, and wished that there was some way for him to help. He also knew that he had to bide his time and wait for her to come to him - but it didn't stop him from keeping an eye on her. He recognized her distraction as soon as she walked passed the hotel, not even blinking an eye. She was susceptible in her position, anyone could come up and attack her and she wouldn't even hear them. He knew the feeling, having experienced it several times himself. That's why he followed her now, he wanted to make sure she was okay. Well, as well as she could be. He saw her walk by a liquor store and hoped she would keep walking. He spoke too soon, seeing her turn around and head inside. He sadly shook his head - alcohol was not a way to deal with this issue, and Teresa knew that.

Lisbon got her room key from the front desk, then let herself into her room. She couldn't believe it was almost 10 pm. Where had the time gone? She shrugged her shoulders as she took off her coat and threw it on the bed, then found a glass at the bar. She took the bottle of tequila out of the paper bag and poured herself a shot. The alcohol soothed her muscles and her mind, and she quickly poured herself another shot. She danced to the Spice Girls on her MP3 player with only one thought on her mind - to get drunk and forget everything she had seen today. She could deal with it tomorrow.

At 6 am, Lisbon heard a persistent knocking at her door. She wished she could just use her gun to make it go away! Her head throbbed from the overindulgence of alcohol the night before. She lifted her head and saw that the bottle was half empty, and her heart sank a little. She hadn't realized that she had actually drank that much. She shook her head, regrettably, as she rose from bed and made her way unsteadily to the door. As she peaked through the peephole she groaned - he was the last person she wanted to see this early in the morning. She didn't want the probing, or the questions or the looks. Nevertheless, she answered the door anyways. She always found it hard to say 'no' to him.

Jane stood there, wondering if Lisbon would even hear the knocking, let alone answer. He tried to peek through the peephole, but couldn't see anything but shadows. Suddenly the door swung open, and Jane was getting a full look of Lisbon dressed in nothing but a long baggy t-shirt.

"What do you want?" she asked grumpily.

"Morning Lisbon. I thought you might want to get some breakfast?" he asked innocently. "So you could have a full stomach to work on during the day."

"Really? This early?" She paused, realizing that he was just trying to be nice. "Sorry, I'm not awake yet - I appreciate the invite, just give me a few minutes to get dressed."

"Why don't I meet you down in the hotel restaurant? What would you like for breakfast? I'll order it for you."

"I can order my own breakfast."

"Why don't you let me order it? That way by the time you get there, your food will be sitting there waiting for you, instead of the other way around."

"Okay, fine. I'll just have a bowl of fruit and an order of toast then."

"That doesn't seem like a lot. Shouldn't you eat mor….."

"Jane, that's all I want. Please!"

He put up his hands. "Okay, one bowl of fruit and an order of toast coming up. I'll see you down there."

"Thanks Jane."

She closed her door and went to the washroom to throw water on her face. She took two aspirins with a glass of water, then jumped into the shower. She didn't want anyone to be able to smell the booze on her. She threw on a pair of jeans, a white tank top and her dress blazer, then her badge and gun. She glanced at the mirror as she passed, and saw how crappy she looked. Black circles under her eyes while her face was drawn and etched with worry, and she was pale. She was starting to regret picking up that bottle last night, but at the time, she just didn't give a damn. She'll deal with this the best way she knew how. She just knew she couldn't let her team see what a basket case she had become in less than a day. She didn't feel comfortable sharing such intimate details of her life with them. So she was abused, so what? Not everyone had such a rosy childhood - and it didn't give her the right to burden her team with hers. She went into the bathroom and put a bit of concealer under her eyes and it did its job. She added a bit of blush so she wouldn't look so pale - then she tried to remember the last time she ate something. She remembered the tea that Jane had made her, but she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast yesterday. She had been on her way to get a late lunch when she got the call to come to Santa Cruz. No wonder she got drunk so easily last night. She locked her door, and was in the lobby before she knew it. She saw Jane as soon as she entered the restaurant, seated by the windows, his seat facing the room so he could see when she came in. He waved when he saw her, and gestured at the food waiting for her. She lost her appetite as she walked by the bar, knowing what it stood for and the pain it brought into her life, then took her seat across from Jane.

Patrick poured her a coffee from the carafe, and gestured at her toast and fruit.

"Thanks Jane."

"Your welcomed Lisbon. How are you feeling?"

She squinted at him. "Is this a shrink session?"

He smirked. "No Lisbon, it's not a 'shrink session', it's just a question."

"I'm okay Jane."

"I don't believe you."

"What do you mean you don't believe me, I don't have time for this."

"I know this case is affecting you - you're distracted, making snap judgements, and last night you got drunk on tequila instead of talking to someone about what you're feeling."

"What have you been doing - spying on me? What I do in my time is my business and how I deal with things is my business. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal. It's just that I care about you Lisbon, and I don't want you to make any mistakes or have any regrets. Okay?"

Lisbon looked down, picked up her fork and tossed the fruit around in the bowl, then looked up teary eyed at Jane.

"Jane, please. I'm begging you - leave this alone. I appreciate your concern, but I need to handle this myself, okay?"

"Someone once told me that 'Nobody is better off alone'. And although I didn't believe it at the time, I do now.

"Who said that?"

"Hightower - after she took me captive and escaped CBI Headquarters.

Lisbon was quiet. You could tell she was seriously thinking about what had been said. Too bad the moment was so short-lived.

"No, you know what? It's too early for this crap! I'm walking to the station! I need some fresh air!" She pushed the order away, threw some money on the table, then hurriedly left the restaurant. It was a little cool at this time of the morning, but she didn't mind, she found it refreshing. Jane stayed at the table and pushed away his half-eaten eggs. He was disappointed that he couldn't reach her, and only succeeded in making her angrier.

There were very few officers working at their desks when Lisbon walked into the station. She flashed her badge, then entered the boardroom. She looked around and realized that she was the first one from her team in - so she made a fresh pot of coffee, and started reading Jonathon Adams' file. Jane came in about ten minutes later, and plugged in the kettle. He fidgeted at the kitchenette for a bit, then went and stood in front of Lisbon. She tried her best to ignore him, but after a few minutes she snapped.

"What Jane?!" she voiced rather loudly. He almost flinched at her question, and took a step back.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you. I just wanted you to know that I'm here if you need or want to talk." He turned away and went back to the kitchenette, making his cup of tea. If he hadn't been listening for it, he would have missed the "I'm sorry. Thank you Jane," ever so softly from Lisbon. She got up and called the hospital. Five minutes later, Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt came in, ready and eager for work.

"Okay, this is where we stand. Leslie made it through the operation - right now she's in an induced coma so her body can fully concentrate on healing itself. Doctors say it'll be at least 3 days before they even consider bringing her out of it. I know the bars don't open til 11:30am, but if you go earlier you might be able to talk to the bartender and get some more information. So Cho, and Rigsby - I want you to stake out each bar and see if Jonathon shows up. Van Pelt - after your appointment at Social Services, try to contact the relatives - see if they've heard from him at all. And check Jonathon's bank accounts - look for anything suspicious. Jane and I are going to talk to his so-called friends. Let's meet up here at noon for a briefing." Her team acknowledged her, and went to accomplish their tasks.

It only took Van Pelt 15 minutes to walk over to Social Services. She entered the building, and quickly found directions to Jenny Hart's cubicle - the Adams' worker. The worker was no-nonsense, and after a brief introduction, quickly got down to the matter.

"Okay, we had gotten a few phone calls from Leslie's and David's teachers. Occasionally they showed up with odd and frequent bruising, and both seemed to be falling asleep in class at least two to three times a week but they wouldn't say what was going on at home. They claimed the bruising was from falls or horseplay. We had scheduled an appointment with Mr. Adams for this coming Monday. To his knowledge, we were going to do a home visit to see if he was fit enough to continue to be their caregiver. In actuality, we were going to go on Friday and do a surprise inspection."

"What were the results of the first two meetings?"

"He was given 2 verbal warnings that he had to clean up his act. We gave him a list of things that needed improvement in the house and within the family structure. We have a third strike policy here - unless the kids have been seriously harmed."

"And he's never done that, right?"

"Right - well, until now that is."

"We're not sure about that Ms. Hart. We're still following some leads. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Just that Leslie seemed to take the brunt of the beatings - she seemed to protect the other kids from it."

"I see, do you have any of their medical records?"

"I do."

"Would I be able to get a copy of those, and your notes from the first two visits?" "Sure, but can I ask you to make the copies? I'm running late and need to get to a client's house. You can just leave the files on my desk."

"Sure, no problem. Thanks for your help."

Grace finished the photocopying in no time, then headed back to the station.

Rigsby gulped down the rest of his donut as he pulled into the Moe's Tavern parking lot. Finding the front door locked, he went around back to the staff door and saw an older gentleman of about 50, signing papers for his liquor delivery.

"We're not open for business yet."

"That's okay, I'm not here to drink. He took out his I.D. and showed the man his badge. "Wayne Rigsby, CBI. I have a few questions for you Mr. ?"

"Moore. Ralph Moore. Nice to meet you," and shook his hand.

Rigsby pulled the picture of Adams out of his breast pocket. "Have you seen this man in here recently?"

"Ah, Jonathon Adams. Damn jerk if you ask me. Causes nothing but trouble. He hasn't been in since Monday evening. He ended up getting into a fight with one of my friends, and I banned him from the bar for a month."

"What was the fight about?"

"He came onto my friend's wife, then cussed at her when she turned down his offer. Just as he was about to slap her, her husband came and punched him in the face. He fell to the floor, then quickly hightailed it out of here. He hasn't been back since."

"Did you hear what happened to his daughter?"

"Yes, I did, poor thing. I hope she makes out okay."

"We all do. Do you think her father was capable of something like this?"

"Well, he's a bit of an ass and I've heard how he smacks them around, but something that violent - no, I can't see it."

Rigsby pulled out his card. "If he does come back, could you please give me a call. We'd like to ask him a few questions."

"Sure, no problem. But I promise, he's not coming back here."

Cho stepped out of the car and went straight to the back of The Nash, knowing they received liquor deliveries before they opened. He saw a guy about 35 years old, checking through an inventory list.

"Hi, my name is Cho Kimball, I'm with the CBI. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Sure, about what?"

"Jonathon Adams." Cho took out his notebook and started writing.

"Ah. My name is Steve Green. I own this establishment. And yes, I'm very familiar with Jonathon Adams. He's only been arrested once in my bar, but often is the source of disturbances and fights. I know I should ban him, but I just feel sorry for the guy."

"Did you hear what happen to his daughter yesterday?"

"Yes, I did, such a damn shame. Good looking girl too."

"Yes, she is. How well did you know him?"

"I know he lost his wife to an accident three years ago - and that he's been coming in more and more. He loses his temper quickly, and has no qualms about defending himself - even if he's in the wrong. As a matter of fact, he was in here last night and borrowed $20 off me. Said he'd pay me back today as soon as I opened."

"And how reliable is he?"

"You mean, is he going to give me back my money? Hell yeah, considering most of the other bars in the area have banned him and we were friends before his life went to hell. He said he'd be here a little after 11 am."

"Do you know anything about his kids?"

"You mean is he capable of hurting them? Yeah, he's slapped them some, but I don't think he'd go as far as slashing their throat."

Cho handed him his card. "If you think of anything else, please call me. And please don't tell him we were here if you happen to see him."

"No problem - I couldn't care one way or another."

Lisbon was frustrated. After a few hours of slammed doors and "that prick owes me money", she honestly felt that she would never get a new lead. Jane said little, if anything helpful, and she wished she could just go the hell home. She took a breath in and tried to relax a little. Her phone rang, and she hit the hands free button.

"Lisbon."

"Hi boss, it's Cho. Adams is going to be at The Nash at about 11 this morning, he owes the bartender money. He was also there drinking last night as well. I guess he used another entrance."

"Good job. Call Rigsby and have him join you on the stakeout. Let me know when you get him."

"Will do." She hung up.

"Well, at least it's a lead. It's better than the luck we've had," Jane quipped.

Lisbon just gave him a look. The likelihood of the father doing this was disappearing fast.


	3. Fighting Inner Demons

Thanks again for the review moonserenity089, I appreciate it. And please, don't feel shy about leaving reviews readers - I enjoy hearing feedback. (It can only get better ! J )

I realize this chapter is a little 'out there' but I figure it would be how it played out. If you disagree, let me know. I'll also try to have a little more dialogue/action from Van Pelt, Rigsby and Cho. Otherwise, enjoy!

Previously -

"Well, at least it's a lead. It's better than the luck we've had," Jane quipped.

Lisbon just gave him a look. The likelihood of the father doing this was disappearing fast.

Chapter 3 - Fighting Inner Demons

Lynne Johns was the seventh name on the list. She lived in a motel on the lower east side. Lisbon knocked at the door, hoping this one would at least provide her with some kind of lead. A haggard, blond woman of about 50 years old answered the door in daisy duke shorts, halter top and black heels, weighing at least 250 pounds. She wore too much make-up, and her teased hair looked like something from the 80's.

Lisbon pulled out her badge.

"Teresa Lisbon and Patrick Jane, CBI. We have some questions for you."

It took the blond a moment to process the request - it was obvious she was as high as a kite. Jane could tell it was crack cocaine. The smell of the room was a dead giveaway, as well as her fingertips, the rotten teeth and the scarred complexion of her face.

"May we come in," asked Lisbon.

"Ah, no. Not unless you have a warrant."

'Damn.' Lisbon thought to herself. She figured if the blond had let them in, and they found illegal substances in the room, that they would be able to arrest her and put her in jail. That way, if she was guilty of anything, she would easy to find. "Have you seen Jonathon Adams lately?"

"Not since this morning, why?"

"You saw him this morning? How long ago did he leave?"

"About an hour ago."

"Do you know if he was home yesterday at all?"

"He was there in the morning - after he sent his kids off to school. Then he came here at around noon. He hasn't been home since."

"Are you sure about this?"

"No! I'm covering for him cause he robbed a bank! Yeah, I'm sure about the time!"

"Your mom had a lot of boyfriends when you were growing up, didn't she?" Jane queried.

"Yeah - she did. So?"

"You were abused by some of them, weren't you?"

"Who the hell are you and what business is it of yours?"

"Just answer his questions please…"

"Yeah, they did. So what? Shit happens."

Patrick just shock his head. "I'm just asking."

"And you're sure that he didn't go home during this time?"

"Positive. He was with me the whole time. Is there anything else, cause I'm kinda busy here?"

"No. That's fine - thank you." She handed her her card. "If you remember anything else, can you call me?"

"Yeah, riiiiight! I'll jump right on it!" as she slammed the door in their faces.

Lisbon stomped down the stairs and slammed the car door. Patrick got in a few seconds later.

"Well, is she telling the truth?"

"Yes Lisbon, she is."

"Damn it! I thought for sure that he would be responsible."

"Well, he is responsible in a way. For putting the kids in that position to start with. For not being able to control what he drinks. For not getting help for his addiction. But he's not the one who did it Lisbon. You've got to believe me."

"I don't know what to believe anymore Jane. I really don't."

Lisbon was pissed. She knew the lures of alcohol, how it made you do things you wouldn't normally do. She couldn't believe that the father would stay out all night with a tramp instead of looking after his kids. Or maybe she could, and it was just the fact that she couldn't stop it from happening again. Even if they proved the tramp to be a sorta reliable witness, they would never be able to make any charges stick.

"How many more drunks do we have to question?"

Patrick looked at her quizzically but said nothing about her judgement. "We have three more to go. Are you feeling up to it?"

"What does that mean - do you think I'm not?"

"I don't mean that… you just seem a bit judgemental right now."

"I'm fine. The sooner you get that through your head, the better."

"Lisbon, I…."

She cut him off. "I don't want to hear it Jane. Who's next on the list?"

Jane just shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "It's a Robert Smith over on Elm Street. Shall we?"

Lisbon stepped on the gas a little bit harder, she wanted to get these interviews done as soon as possible.

Rigsby and Cho were sitting outside the Nash, eating tacos. An older gentleman of about 50 crossed the parking lot from the convenience store next door. Cho was the first to notice.

"Is that our guy?"

Rigsby took the picture off the dash and stared at it, then at the individual crossing the parking lot. "It looks like him."

Cho put his taco down, while Rigsby pushed the rest into his mouth. Cho just shook his head and laughed while he exited the van. By the time they caught up, Jonathon Adams sitting at the bar, handing Steve the bartender the money he borrowed and ordering a beer. The bartender nodded at Cho as they both approached their subject, verifying it was the person they were after.

Rigsby stood behind the suspect, while Cho stood to his left.

"Are you Jonathon Adams?"

"Who the hell wants to know," Adams replied.

"Agents Rigsby and Cho, CBI. We need to take you in for questioning."

"Like hell you do," he replied, as he turned and gave Rigsby a right hook. He then grabbed the glass of beer and smashed it into Cho's head. Cho stumbled back a bit, clutching his head. Rigsby grabbed the right arm of the suspect and quickly twisted it behind his back. In no time Adams was on his knees, begging for mercy.

"All right! Enough already! God you're going to kill me!"

"That's not our place to," Cho remarked. The waitress handed him two towels - with one he sponged up the beer, the other he pressed to his wound.

Rigsby got out his cuffs and placed them on the suspect's wrists. Cho took out his phone and dialled Lisbon while he followed Rigsby and the suspect through the parking lot. As she answered, she placed him on speaker.

"Boss, we got him."

"You got Adams? That's great. We'll meet you back at the station. Maybe now we can solve this case."

"But Cho has to make a stop at the hospital for some stitches. He got clocked in the head with a glass."

"Is he all right?"

"He's fine. It might have knocked some sense into him." Jane could be heard chuckling in the background. Lisbon just glared at him.

"You're a real comedian Rigsby," comment Cho. "And I don't need a hospital!" he said loud enough for Lisbon to hear.

"Rigsby, if you have to take him at gunpoint - do it. I want Cho to get checked out."

"Okay boss. I'll drop Cho off and bring in the suspect. See you soon."

Lisbon folded her phone and put it back in her pocket. She proceeded into an empty lot, where she made a quick U-turn, and headed back to the station.

"To hell with the rest of these interviews, let's go see what Adams says."

"You realize that he's not the one who did it, don't you?"

"Jane, I really don't want to hear it…."

"It's not him. I'm almost 80% sure of that."

"And I'm betting on the 20% that it is him. And if you say one more word on it, I'll send you back to Sacramento."

Jane opened his mouth to reply, but figured he would just be asking for trouble, and quickly shut it.

The ride back to the station was quiet, and very quick. Lisbon couldn't wait to get away from Jane. She walked over to Van Pelt asked for an update on the meeting with the social worker. As Grace filled her in, she handed her the medical files on the kids, as well as the worker's observations. Lisbon walked over to the corner desk furthest away from everyone, and turned her back on the room as she read the file. Her face blanched as she read the files, especially Leslie's - in fact she felt like she was reading her own file. The tears were just streaming down her face, and she was trying her best not to make any noise. She heard Jane mutter something to Grace, then someone left the room. She could hear footsteps behind her, and she quickly dried the tears off her face using her sleeve, and took a few deep breaths. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She fought the urge to shake it off - she didn't want to be touched. But when she saw the ringed finger, she knew she couldn't do that to him. As annoying as he could be at times, he was a good friend.

"Hey, look. It's going to be okay. We're going to find out who did this."

"How can it be okay? Look what he did to her! To them!"

Jane cringed at the pictures in the file, it reminded him of his own loss. He pushed it down to get her back on track. He looked into her eyes.

"Lisbon, this is your job. You've got to control these feelings you're having, or else you're not going to make it through."

"I don't think I can. This is too much Jane! All the memories are coming back - I feel like I'm 13 again. I'm doubting everything….even myself! I still think the father did it! And I know I shouldn't! It's not right! Somehow I need to get through the next few days… but I have no idea on how to do it. Alcohol doesn't help. Talking doesn't really help either. Did you know that I almost called Bertram this morning to take me off the case? Can you believe that?"

Jane looked at her with an understanding in his eyes.

"What if you hypnotized me?"

"Lisbon, I'm not sure if that would work."

"Just plant some kind of suggestion where I would act normally when working the case. I'll deal with the ramifications later." She saw doubt in his eyes. "Please Jane. I'm begging you - I can't do this anymore. Right now I feel like turning in my badge and gun and running….."

"You realize there's no guarantee that it'll work."

"I know. But I've got to try this Jane. I'm at my wits end, and I don't know how much more I can take."

"Okay, I'll do it. But only on two conditions - one, that it stays between you and me. But if you start acting oddly, I am going to have to tell the team. They will notice, they're very observant."

"I would prefer if you didn't. Only if you absolutely have to. I don't want them to think I'm weak."

"You're anything but weak Teresa. One can only imagine what you went through in your childhood. I'm sure they would understand."

"What's the second condition?"

"That once this case is done, you tell me what happened to you."

"I can't do that," she lowered her voice, "No one knows but my brother Tommy."

"You've never told anyone?"

"There are certain…incidences that no one knows about, not even Tommy. I didn't think he could handle it. I kept it bottled up until I was able to release it - which was at the police academy or on the job."

"I won't do it any other way. There's a lot at risk here. Our jobs, friendships - need I go on? It's the only way you're going to be able to move forward Teresa, to get past this."

She looked down, ashamed of herself. She should have never let herself get to this point. Patrick pulled up a stool and sat down next to her, then gave her a hug.

"Your past could have happened to any of us - you have no need to feel embarrassed. Okay?"

She nodded. He rubbed the small of the back in an effort to relax her.

"Teresa, I need you to listen to me…" he held up a silver pen. "Just look at the pen. Look how the light hits it, makes it shine." He moved it a few times back and forth. Her eyes gazed fixedly on it. He weaved it between his fingers, and she never took her eyes off of it.

"Keep an eye on it. Look at how the light shines on it. You can feel the light drawing you in." He could see her eyes start to droop. "Now I want you to picture a beach. Picture the waves rolling in… and out… in …. and out…. You can hear them crashing on the shore. In, and out… Each time you hear them, your body relaxes. Your worries float away, and you feel yourself becoming lighter, releasing all your burdens. He could tell that she was in a suggestive state, now he just had to figure out what suggestion to plant so she could do her job. First he had to test her with a question to see if she was fully under. "You had shots of tequila in your room last night while listening to the Spice Girls, didn't you? She bobbed around a little, then smirked. "Yeah, I did."

Patrick grinned at her answer. 'Good, she's ready,' he thought to himself. He looked up and saw that Van Pelt was still doing talking to one of the deputies in the next room. No one was paying attention.

"Teresa, whenever you hear the name Jonathon Adams, or anything related to this case, I want you to react in a calm, productive manner. No matter what you hear, or how disturbing the details are - you are going to be calm, cool and collective. You will keep your reasoning about you, and be able to work through any issue that arises. You will stay focussed on the case, and ignore the personal feelings that my arise. Can you do that for me Teresa?"

"Stay calm, and focused. Work through any issues. Ignore personal feelings."

"That's good. Now, you will work that way until you hear the word 'Disneyland' - and I tap you on the knee. Understood?"

"Disneyland…understood," she acknowledged.

"I'm going to bring you back now. Counting down from 5, 4...you're eyelids are getting lighter…3...you're feeling a little more awake now…2...you're beginning to hear other sounds than my voice, your thoughts are becoming clearer…and 1..." Her eyes slowly opened, and she took a deep breath.

"How do you feel?"

"Relaxed….like I got a full night's sleep. My mind feels so clear. Now what were we talking about?"

"You were just briefing me on Leslie's file of her injuries."

"Oh… right. Such a damn shame - her situation seems familiar to me, but I can't put my finger on it."

"You're right Lisbon, it is a damn shame." He was glad the 'suggestion' was working, but would have to tell the team what he did, so that they didn't ask any questions about Lisbon's past and trigger her memories. He knew he was going against her wishes, but didn't see any other way around it.

Rigsby came into the station about 20 minutes later, with Jonathon Adams in tow - fighting and yelling all the way. Rigsby decided to let him stew in the jail cell until he calmed down a bit to question him.

"How's Cho?" Lisbon asked calmly.

"They took him in right away. Told him he needs twelve stitches to close the wound - but at least he doesn't have a concussion. He's going to give me a call for a ride once he's done."

"That's good, I'm glad he's okay - well, as okay as he can be. When he gets back, I want to hold a briefing on the case and see where the evidence stands. If the father didn't do it, I want to make sure that we have some viable suspects."

Van Pelt and Rigsby gave each other a quick glance, then acknowledged their boss. They wondered what was up, she was so relaxed compared to before. They shrugged it off, and went to type up their reports.

By 12:15, Rigsby had brought Cho back from the hospital. As they pulled in, they saw Van Pelt and Jane waiting for them at the side of the station.

Jane started as soon as everyone was huddled together.

"How's your head?" Van Pelt asked.

"Still attached," he smirked. Grace groaned at his warped humour. "It's fine, just needed a few stitches, that's all."

"Glad to hear you're all right Cho," Jane paused. "Now, before you make any rush judgements, please give me a minute to say my peace. Agreed?"

They all agreed.

"I wanted to talk to you all before you noticed. I'm sure you've all seen how frustrated and emotional Lisbon's been the past few days in regards to this case. And that you're aware of her abusive childhood." They nodded. "From what I could read from her reaction at the crime scene - she had something similar happen to her when she was growing up. She knew her emotions were interfering with the case and was causing her to doubt her judgement….as a result, she asked me to hypnotize her."

"So she'll be able to work this like any other case?" Cho queried. Jane nodded. "Good. I don't have any problems with it," Van Pelt and Rigsby nodded in agreed.

"Whoa, wait a minute. You guys aren't angry with me?" Jane asked.

"No. We all saw how she was - she was probably to proud or embarrassed to admit how it affected her, and we need her help to solve this case. If you hypnotizing her helps her, then I'm all for it. As long as you release her from the hypnotic suggestion when this case is done, and you help her. I'm sure there's consequences from doing something like this."

"Yes, there will be. She's aware of that. But I'm also going to help her through it when the time comes."

"We'll all be there to help, if she wants it," Van Pelt added.

"So all of you are okay with this?"

They nodded in agreement.

"Then I believe we have a briefing to do."


	4. Pushed Off to the Side

First, let me apologize for taking so long to post this chapter - I couldn't figure out what direction I wanted to take the story. Funny out it comes out so easily in the beginning, then gets harder to put onto paper once it reaches the middle. I know it's a short chapter, but I thought you'd rather have this now than wait another day. I should have another chapter up soon (well, sooner than this one). But I appreciate your reviews - thanks everyone. For the rest, please few free to leave a review - good, bad or ugly, I don't care - I like to hear what other people think.

By the way, if you notice grammatical errors or issues with the flow, that is totally my doing. I don't have a beta reader, so please bear with me.

Previous Chapter:

"So all of you are okay with this?"

They nodded in agreement.

"Then I believe we have a briefing to do."

Misdirected Harm

They made their way inside to the boardroom, where Lisbon had gathered all the evidence on the case and was waiting patiently for them.

"I thought we could go over what we have before we interviewed Adams, that way we'll see where we stand."

The group took their seats. Van Pelt started with her interview at social services - with the home visits and the kids medical file. Rigsby stated that Adams had been barred from Moe's Tavern, but that the bartender was actually no help.

"Actually, I think Steve Green the bartender from the Nash might know more than he's letting on," Cho said.

"Why's that?" Rigsby questioned. "Well, he didn't seem that shook up when he heard about the attack on Leslie. He also stated that he has been friends with Adams for years, but seemed to be directing our attention towards him as a suspect. And he also knew that Leslie's throat had been cut before I said anything."

"I'd also like to bring in Allen Jenkins," Jane stated.

"Why him?"

"Because he looked guilty while we we're interviewing him. He knows something, I just can't put my finger on what."

"All right, let's leave this for now and go interview Adams. He's got to know something about all this." Lisbon got up and started towards the interview, with Jane in tow.

Jonathon Adams was sitting down at a table, handcuffed due to his hostility, and nervously playing his hands as Lisbon and Jane walked in and sat down across from him.

"Jonathon Adams - you're a hard man to track down."

"Yeah, whatever. What the hell am I doing here."

"We have some bad news for you. Did you hear that your daughter was attacked in your home yesterday, and that she's in hospital."

"What? What the hell do you mean? What happened?"

"Someone came in to your home and brutally beat your daughter, broke her arm and slashed her throat, then took off."

"Oh god no!" he put his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry for what's happened. I take it you didn't know?"

"No! I didn't," he sobbed.

"Did you find the bastard who did this?"

"No, that's what we're working on."

"You don't think I did it?"

"We've already verified that you had an alibi. But we need some information from you. Do you know of anyone who could have done this? Someone who has something against you or your kids?"

"No one."

"Do you owe any money to anybody?"

"Yeah, I do. But no big amounts. Maybe $40 - $100 - but not anything more than that."

"Where do you work?"

"I work at J&G Garage with Allen Jenkins. I've been there for the last six years."

"Are you working right now?"

"No. I'm off due to an injury - I hurt my back at the garage I work at."

"How did you hurt your back?" Jane asked.

"I was lifting an engine out with a chain hoist when the chain snapped. We've been after our boss for new equipment for the last two years. And tell me how the hell me telling you about my injury is going to get the bastard who hurt my daughter?"

"We need all the information you can give us Mr. Adams. Anything could give us a lead as to who did it?" replied Lisbon.

"Do you love your daughter?" Jane queried.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question Jonathon," coaxed Lisbon.

"Do you love your daughter?" Jane repeated.

"Of course I love my daughter."

"And what about your other kids - do you love them?"

"Definitely."

"Have you ever hit any of them?"

His head sunk down and he lowered his eyes. He muttered a briefly, audible 'yes'.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Jane urged.

"I said YES! Okay! I've hit all four of my kids!"

"Well, I guess you won't be getting the 'Parent of the Year' award this year, eh?"

"Jane! Stop!" Lisbon scolded.

"You bastard! I ought to…." He jumped towards Jane, but Lisbon stood up and pushed him back down.

"Adams, behave yourself or else I'll add obstructing and another assault on a police officer."

He sat back down slowly, and glared at Jane.

"I don't know what you're staring at me for - I'm not the one hitting your kids. Do you enjoy doing it, or you feel guilty afterwards?"

"Are you sick or something? NO! I don't get off on hitting my kids. I feel guilty - okay! I always feel guilty! When I get drunk I don't realize what I'm doing. I only remember when I'm sober, and even then it's just flashes. I just get so frustrated with everything - trying to raise four kids, getting hurt at work, trying to make ends meet."

"So are you the one who hurt Leslie?"

"NO! I'm not!"

"Don't you think if you didn't drink so much that maybe life would be a little easier to handle?" Lisbon asked.

"Yeah…maybe…I guess…I don't know…it's just hard to deal with everything…but what does that have to do with Leslie getting hurt. What are you doing about that?"

"We're looking at everything and everything. We have a few suspects, but nothing definite yet."

"Just tell me you'll get him, and let me get my hands on him!"

"That's not going to do you or your kids any good, now is it. You've got to let us handle it." Jane urged.

"Speaking of the kids - where are they? Can I see them? Are they all right?"

"They're fine. They're with the Tritts next door. They are a little shook up especially David, but with the right help I think they'll be fine." Jane volunteered.

"So what's next?"

"Well, we are keeping you in here due to the assault on Agent Cho. But if there are no further charges brought up against you then we may let you go in a day or two."

"Okay. I'm sorry about that by the way. I guess I just panicked," he sighed. "Is he around? I'd like to apologize to him."

Lisbon and Jane left the room and sent in Cho with Rigsby. Van Pelt was already back on the computer doing research. They walked down the hall towards the boardroom.

"Ok, so he's guilty of being a crappy father but he's not the one who did it - any ideas on who it is?"

"I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure…."

"Of course. Let me know when you do have one!" she said sarcastically as the entered the room. She went over to the desk to pick up a file, when she stopped and wavered. Her right hand held her head, while her left hand grasped the desk. Jane came over and reached around on her hip to steady her.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine - it's nothing."

He just stared at her non-believing. "Really?"

"I just got a little dizzy - nothing to worry about."

He pulled out a chair and sat her down. He strode over to the fridge and grabbed a sandwich, and plugged in the kettle. While waiting for the water to boil, he went back and placed the ham and cheese sandwich in front of her.

"Here….eat!"

"I'm fine Jane. I don't need to eat!"

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Um, this morning."

"Nice try - but you didn't eat anything at breakfast, remember? And you didn't eat anything last night either, did you?"

She didn't say a word.

"So eat!"

She quietly opened the package and started to nibble on the sandwich.

Jane came back a few minutes later and placed a mug of tea in front of her. He moved another chair beside hers, then sat down with his tea and proceeded to eat his own sandwich. He hoped it would encourage her to eat more. After some silent coaxing, she eventually finished her sandwich and even had a second cup of tea. She hated to admit Jane was right, but she did feel better.

"Thanks Jane," and clasped his hand.

"I'll always be here for you Lisbon."


	5. What a Tangled Web They Weave

I apologize for my tardiness - real life has not been playing nice lately. Although this chapter is short, it does explain a lot. I hope you enjoy it! Btw - thank you for all the reviews, they are very much appreciated! As before, these characters do not belong to me… darn it.

"Thanks Jane," and clasped his hand.

"I'll always be here for you Lisbon.

What A Tangled Web They Weave

Patrick laid down on the couch and started to think. Something was off about Jenkins interview, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He remembered seeing the auto parts strewn around the house.

"Grace, can you look up Jenkins and see where he works?"

"Already done Jane. He works at the same garage that Adams does. He's been there since it opened 6 years ago."

"Hmm…interesting."

"You think that somebody there might know something?" Lisbon probed.

"Think of it this way - why is it that no one wants to tell us about their relationship to the garage?"

"You're right, it's a good question. Rigsby and Cho, I want you to interview Adams again. Ask him more details about where he works and who he thinks might want to hurt him. Van Pelt - I want you to find anything you can on J&G Garage - who owns it, the financial records, anything at all. Jane and I are going to the garage to ask some questions."

Jane drove by the garage, and saw the beat -up J&G Garage sign barely hanging onto the building. He turned the wheel to the right and parked his blue Citroën DS 21 at the side of the building.

"Well, doesn't this look promising?" Jane stated sarcastically.

"Ya think? It looks like someone took a sledgehammer to the place."

The outside of the garage was a pig sty - empty boxes scattered the side, as well as garbage, empty oil cans and old, rusted auto parts. As Jane and Lisbon entered the bay area of the garage, they could see it wasn't much better on the inside. Tools were scattered all over the place, pools of grease decorated the floor, and there were papers strewn everywhere. One mechanic in dark blue overalls with the patch that read "Tom" bent over the engine and tinkered with the spark plugs. Now Jane didn't know a lot about cars, but as he watched the mechanics - they really didn't seem too interested in repairing the cars.

"Uh gentlemen. We're from C.B.I - I'm Special Agent Lisbon and this is our consultant Patrick Jane - do you mind if we ask you a few questions?"

Both the mechanics looked up from the cars they were working on, and wiped their hands on their pants.

"Sure lady, it's time for our break anyways. Right Charlie?"

"Right Tom."

"How long have you both been working here?"

"About six months - we were both hired on at the same time," replied Tom.

Jane drifted away from Lisbon's questioning, but still listened and started looking around the garage. He hoped that since the place was such a mess, there might be some clue to be found. He picked up a small, rounded rectangular object that was made of some kind of light metal.

"Can I ask what this is?" as he held up the part, interrupting Lisbon's interrogation.

"Yeah, that's a brake pad," replied Tom.

"Thanks. That's what I thought it was."

Jane could tell it was an inferior part - the materials used to make it was made to look expensive, but was cheaply made. As he turned it over, he saw a "Made in Taiwan" stamp. He put the part back down on the shelf and continued snooping.

"So let me get this straight - you don't know who the owner is, you've never seen him?"

"That's right lady…it's like I said. We work for Adams and Jenkins. We clock in, do our shift then clock out. That's all we know."

"Jane? Are you ready to go?"

"Coming Lisbon."

"Well that was pointless," she griped as they walked out the garage and back to his car.

"Not necessarily - I think it provided a lot of information."

"Such as?"

"Not yet. It's still a hunch."

"Let's get back to the office - maybe Cho and Rigsby have got something.

Cho and Rigsby were both seated at the table facing Jonathon Adams.

"So why didn't you tell us you worked at J&G Garage?"

"I didn't think it was important."

"Really? What are you hiding?"

Adams looked down and stared at his hands.

"I'm not hiding anything….okay?"

Cho and Rigsby just stared at him.

He got even more nervous.

"Look - I can't say anything. They threatened me and my family. God! Why did I ever go into business with those two?" as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Which two are you talking about?" Rigsby probed.

"Allen Jenkins and Steve Green. On the paperwork, it says that Allen and I own the garage, but in reality Steve owns it. Jenkins and I are just the managers. But Steve insisted on being listed as a silent partner. Now I know why."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't say. They'll kill me!"

"We can protect you," urged Cho. "If they're guilty of hurting your daughter, they'll be going away for a long time. Don't you want to see what's coming to them?"

Jane and Lisbon walked into the observation room.

"Oh cool - we're just getting to the good part!"

Lisbon threw him a dirty look.

Adams took in a deep breath then started…. "Jenkins and I started the garage about six years ago. We did our best to make a go of it, but found that we were getting further in debt each month. We had the clients, but it was the cost of the tools and such that was bringing us down. Two years later, we were on the verge of closing when Steve Green overheard us discussing the situation at his bar one night. He said he was interested in having another business, and had a few ideas of how to turn it around - he just didn't want to be on the books. He offered us enough money to pay off our creditors, and gave us each $5000 for part of the business."

"That must have seem like a godsend," stated Cho.

"It was. All my bills were paid - and I could afford to spend a little extra on the family. After a while, we started to get a few complaints about workmanship and the quality of the parts . So I asked Green about it. He told me not to worry about it, that it was all under control and that I should just be happy that the business was thriving. One night while I worked late on a repair - I went into the office to get the receipt book and saw some papers in the office. Green was ordering substandard parts from Taiwan instead of directly from auto part dealers and saving a pile of money. The next day, I went to him and told him I wasn't happy with the way things were going. He told me I either stayed with the program, or suffer the consequences. A week later after I had had a fight with him about the parts, my wife ended up run down in the middle of the street. The cops could never prove who did it - but I got the message loud and clear. For the sake of my kids I kept my head down and just worked. I couldn't do anything else, no one would hire me. Earlier this year I got hurt at work and realized that Green was also cutting corners on our equipment as well. After I went on leave, he hired two goons to continue working there who were paid extra not ask questions."

"Why did you borrow money off of him if you think he killed your wife?"

"Even before we went into business, I got the occasional loan from him. We've known each other for years. He warned me that I had to keep up the premise of needing money even after everything. He didn't want anyone to know."

"So basically it was a ruse. He was covering his butt." suggested Rigsby.

"Yeah - that's it exactly. But now he's gotten greedy. A week ago he called me and Jenkins in for a meeting to tell us that he's ordering all the auto parts from Taiwan. To cover all bases, he's altered the contract that the customer signs when they have work done on their car - stating that the garage is not responsible for the malfunction or wear and tear of any parts. Jenkins was all for it - he's money hungry, but I didn't want to be a part of it. He told me I had to pay $20,000 in order to get out of the business. But I don't have that kind of money! I had a week to pay it, or else! I didn't think he'd go after my daughter! That bastard!" and slammed his fist onto the table.

"Oh my god," whispered Lisbon.

"I figured as much. Although I have to admit, I didn't think it would be quite so complicated."

"So how do we trap them? And who was it that hurt Adams' daughter?"

"No problem Lisbon - I have a plan," smirked Jane.


	6. Up In Smoke

Disclaimer: I don't own The Mentalist or any of the characters, I just rent them. (I just hope they don't cash the cheque or it'll bounce! Lol)

Good news: The Mentalist has been renewed for another season! Woohoo! J

I'm not even going to try to make an apology - but I really didn't mean to make you guys wait. Sorry. (ok, I lied - I apologized anyways, I can't help it.) I did make this one a bit longer if that helps. Forgive me if I get any details wrong, but I know less than nothing about cars - the only thing I do know is where the dipstick is and where you put the gas in. So you've been warned! Lol.

Sentences in 'single quotes' are thoughts that the person is having.

_**Previously:**_

"No problem Lisbon - I have a plan," smirked Jane.

**Up In Smoke**

It was about 6 pm when Van Pelt drove the dark blue 2011 Chevy Malibu up to J&G Garage. It was a 4-door, midsize car with a gas, 4 cylinder engine and an automatic transmission.

The car was expelling blue smoke as she pulled into one of the empty stalls. Charlie the mechanic was there, waving his grease rag, trying to disperse it.

"Okay lady, you can shut it off now, you're going to suffocate us!"

"Sorry, I don't know what's wrong?" Grace feigned innocently. "I just poured some fresh oil in it not even 10 minutes ago! It started doing this about five miles down the road - you were the first garage I saw!"

She turned off the ignition and got out of the car, dressed in a red mini-skirt and a white, lacy tank top. Her hair hung freely from her shoulders.

"When was the last time you changed the oil?"

"You have to get the oil changed? Gee, I didn't know that! I thought that you could just keep pouring new oil in…is it serious?"

Charlie tried not to smile. This was going to be easier than taking candy from a baby. Not only was this broad good looking - she was also as dumb as a rock.

"Uh, yeah, a little. It could cause your engine to seize. Leave your car and phone number. I'll take a look at it some time tomorrow then give you a call about what needs to be done."

"Is there anyway to get it done faster? I really need my car for work? I'm willing to pay extra!"

'Cool! I can charge her a few extra hundred for faster service! This babe has sucker written all over her.' Charlie snickered to himself.

"How about this - I usually start at 9 am - but for you, I'll come in at 8 am tomorrow and take a look at it. I could give you an update on it by say 10 am?" "Oh that's great! Thank you ever so much!"

"No problem Miss. Just follow me to the office to sign some paperwork. I can't promise it'll be quick though - it depends on how much damage was done." Grace followed him into the office, then signed the necessary paperwork and received a copy of the work order.

"Um, I hate to bother you further, but can I use your phone to call a cab?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Thanks."

A few minutes later a cab showed up then dropped Grace off two blocks away at the surveillance van. She got into the back of the van and put down her purse. "Mission accomplished boss. God I feel like I need a shower!"

"Good job Van Pelt. The bugs and cameras are working perfectly. That guy looked and sounded pretty grimy." Lisbon looked over at Jane. "This plan of yours better work!"

"It's working already. All we have to do is wait for the bad guys to put their foot into their mouths, and repair Grace's auto "issues".

For three hours they watched as Charlie fiddled, er worked on his other customer's car. All they heard were tools being used or moved, and the rock and roll music that played softly in the background. Rigsby and Cho greeted everyone in the truck when they showed up at 9 pm, then got any updates from Lisbon.

"Two Santa Cruz undercover officers will be here at 3 am to take over. We'll all meet here at 6 am for an update. Any questions?" No one said a word. "See you tomorrow guys."

As they made their way to the SUV parked behind the surveillance van, Jane had an idea. "Anyone hungry? I could go for some eggs."

"You could always go for some eggs," snickered Lisbon.

"What? We've had what - 3 cups of coffee and at least two donuts. Last I heard that did not count as a meal. I'm hungry!"

Van Pelt laughed as she got in the back. "You guys can go ahead - I'm beat. Would you mind just dropping me off at the hotel?"

"Sure, no problem Van Pelt."

In no time, they had dropped Grace off and drove to the closest diner for some "real" food.

Rigsby had come well prepared for the stakeout - no more eating ketchup packages for him! Cho just shook his head when he saw the box of dozen donuts and two enchiladas.

"Don't you ever stop eating?"

"What? I get hungry when I'm on stakeout. I haven't eaten since 6 pm when I had the Chinese food. Besides, it's not like I didn't bring you any."

"Your stomach is a bottomless pit. A small country overseas could survive for a year for what you eat in a week!"

"Hey! That's not called for! Besides, it's not my fault I have a high metabolism. I end up burning off what I eat in like 3 minutes anyways." Cho just snorted.

Meantime, they watched the monitors in the van as Charlie did a quick once-over of Van Pelt's car. It was actually on loan from the Santa Cruz police department. The cameras being used were small, but also multi-directional, so they could see in almost any direction. As for the bugs, the picked up the slightest sound, including Charlie's humming with the music from the radio. They first heard the sound of a bottle cap being pried off the bottle, then saw him drinking a beer.

"Can you believe this guy?" Both agents just shook their head. At about 11:00 pm, the lights were turned off and they heard the door open and close, then locked. They saw as Charlie walked down the street and turned into the nearest bar.

"Well, I guess that's it for that. Now we'll have to wait til morning for anything good to happen."

The two agents were relieved at 3 am as promised. After a few hours of sleep, everyone met back at the truck. If all went according to plan, the bust would be going down this morning. Cho and Rigsby relieved the two Santa Cruz officers, with thanks and no new update. Van Pelt showed up next. Lisbon and Jane were the last to show up, but brought coffees for everyone.

"Morning everyone, are we all set?" Her team members nodded.

With Cho, Rigsby and Lisbon listening in to the empty garage. Patrick and Grace found seats and made themselves comfortable.

Charlie and Tom both showed up at 7:45 am. While Tom got the coffee maker brewing, Charlie lifted the hood on Van Pelt's car and took a look at the oil filter and the spark plugs. Tom walked up and stood beside him.

"So is this the one you were telling me about?"

"Yeah. It looks like all she did was put too much oil in, which made the engine smoke. But I think I can find some more damage here. I think if I tell her that the engine seized while I was testing it, then I can bill her for a new engine, along with a new oil filter, oil pan and pistons."

"What if she asks to see the parts?"

Charlie just smiled. "She's too dumb to do that. She didn't even know that she was supposed to get the oil changed."

Rigsby looked at Van Pelt, and she just smiled in return.

"Are you sure she's going to fall for that?"

"Well, she told me that she needed her car as soon as possible for work. So really, she's not going to have a choice. Besides, she's already signed the paperwork, so she doesn't have much choice," he laughed.

"How come you get all the dumb, good looking ones?"

"Just luck I suppose."

A black, 2-door Silveraldo Hybrid with a 4.8L engine and blackwall tires turned off the street into the parking lot adjacent to the garage.

"Whoa, nice truck!" Rigsby exclaimed as it pulled into a parking space. "That's worth at least $50,000, maybe even more depending on what features he got." It parked at the far side of the building. Steve Green got out of the driver's side and entered the building.

"At least we know how he can afford it," smirked Lisbon. "Are you sure about this?" she asked Jane. "Cause we're going to be in it up to our necks if we're wrong!"

"Lisbon, please! Trust me! Have I ever steered you wrong?"

She just glared at him. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, have I ever steered you so far off that the arrest was messed up?"

"Okay, you have a point. Somehow your wild hunches mostly turn out to be right."

"Mostly? Mostly?!"

"Ssh Jane! It's about to go down!"

As Lisbon listened in, she looked over at Jane and smirked. He was still muttering to himself about her comment.

Charlie and Joe greeted their boss as he entered.

"Morning guys, what's the update for today?"

Joe gave his list consisting of a few oil changes and some new tires.

"Boss, I need a new engine, a new oil filter, oil pan and pistons for a midsize 2011 Chevy Malibu with a gas, 4 cylinder engine and an automatic transmission." "Nice! How did you get that one?"

"Oh she was an emergency customer at about 6 pm - all she did was put too much oil in and made her engine smoke. I'm about to call her now to tell her the disastrous news," he chuckled.

"Come see me when you're done - then I'll put in the order to our distributor."

A few minutes later, Van Pelt's phone started ringing. Everyone in the surveillance truck went silent when she pick up. "Hello?"

"Hi, this is Charlie from J&G Garage - I have some rather bad news for you."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Well, your car has had it. It need's a new engine, a new oil filter, oil pan and pistons."

"What? But it was running fine when I arrived there."

"The engine ended up seizing when I restarted it this morning. The rest is due to your oil not being changed since you got the car."

"I'm going to get a second opinion - I'll tow it to another garage!"

"You can't, you've already signed the paperwork. You basically agreed to let me do whatever is necessary to the car. You can try to sue us, but because you've signed the contract, there's nothing anyone can do."

Grace swore she could hear someone chuckling in the background. "Damn it! What do I do for work?"

"We have a loaner car we can rent you for $100 a day."

"I don't want it. Just do what you have to quick," and quickly hung up.

"Now can we go in?" Jane pestered.

Lisbon shook her head. "No Jane, we've got to wait for one more piece of evidence. The phone call to his distributor. We managed to get a wire tap with Van Pelt's illegal signed document, so as soon as we have it, we can go in. That and his admission to injuring Leslie.

"Hey, when is George coming back to work?" asked Joe.

"I don't think he's coming back, he wants out. So when he gives the $20,000 that I asked for, he'll be out for good. His deadline was up two days ago, but due to tragic incident that I inflicted on his daughter, I decided to give him another week. And by the way, you guys will be getting a $5,000 bonus if you don't ask me any more questions about him or anything else."

"Boss, you didn't hurt the girl did you?"

"I had to send him a message - it was the best way I knew how. Do you still want that bonus?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry boss. Won't happen again," replied Joe.

"Listen, I gotta go out for a while. Look after things here til I get back."

"Ten-four boss. We got it under control," replied Charlie.

"That's our cue, we're taking him now! Go! Go! Go!" Everyone but Jane exited the van and stormed the garage. Unfortunately, Green had made it to his truck and left the lot already but he had no idea of the warrant. Lisbon and Rigsby turned around when they saw him leave and ran back to the surveillance truck to follow him.

The van started to pick up speed as it tried to catch up with him. Rigsby was driving like a maniac, dodging in and out of the lanes and running lights. Jane's knuckles were white from hanging onto the counter so tightly.

"You know, you guys should really think about getting some attached seats back here. This could be hazardous to one's health."

"There's the back door - you can leave if you want to. Just keep in mind that we're not going to slow down to let you out!" Lisbon laughed a little.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?"

"Just your reaction. I think you're hilarious!"

The truck followed Green over a hill. It seemed to fly over the crest, and hit the pavement hard before continuing the chase. Lisbon looked over at Rigsby. "You're having a little bit too much fun at this!"

"Sorry boss."

The rest of the chase went rather smoothly, and they caught up with Green in his driveway at his house.

Lisbon and Rigsby left the van and quickly drew their guns.

"Steve Green! Stop! This is C.B.I.! You're under arrest for the attempted murder of Leslie Adams!"

Green slowly dropped his car keys, then raised his hands in the air. Rigsby had him in cuffs in no time while Lisbon radioed for a car to transport their suspect back to the station.


	7. A Few Lose Ends

Well, here it is, the last chapter. Thanks for coming along for the ride and enduring all my mistakes. I'm touched at the amount of followers I've gotten from writing this story. You guys make it worth it! Thank You! Now that I've gotten the hang of it, I may do more. I already have a few ideas swirling around in my wicked brain! Mwhaaa ha ha ha ha !

_Previously:_

Green slowly dropped his car keys, then raised his hands in the air. Rigsby had him in cuffs in no time while Lisbon radioed for a car to transport their suspect back to the station.

**A FEW LOSE ENDS**

Joe and Charlie had been arrested by the accompanying members of the S.C.P.D. (Santa Cruz Police Department). Rigsby led Joe to one interrogation room, while Van Pelt led Charlie to the adjoining one. Lisbon and Jane were in the middle of the two, watching simultaneously. At first, both suspects denied any wrong-doing. But after hearing the taped conversations, and being threatened with 20 plus years, they started to divulge all the necessary information to nail Steve Green to the wall.

Joe seemed to be a bit dimmer than Charlie and Green.

"Well, as far as I'm concerned - you're guilty of fraud, and of attempted murder," Rigsby stated.

"But…but…Charlie and I had nothing do to with the ordering of parts and that - it was all Green's idea...and I didn't know what he did to the girl until today. Honest!"

"How can you say honest when you were ripping people off left and right? Maybe you didn't know about the attempted murder, but you did know about the faulty parts and were very much a part of it. You didn't report it - in fact, you profited from it. So you're just as guilty as him," replied Rigsby. "Right now, you're looking at 25 to life, unless you co-operate fully, then you might be able to get a reduced sentence. Maybe something like 5 to 10 years."

"Okay, okay! This is how it went down…"

* * *

Both suspects confessed that it had been the first time they heard about Leslie being hurt, and that they had nothing to do with the assault. But they admitted that they had been paid extra to keep quiet about the boss selling sub par auto parts at an inflated price.

"So do I get a deal for helping?" Charlie asked.

"You might…if we can validate the information you gave us. You might end up doing 5 to 10 years."

"What?! I can't do that long!"

"Would you rather do longer? Your boss is looking at 25 to life!"

"Oh! Crap! Ah no…I think 5 to 10 is more than fair."

Lisbon couldn't help but smirk as the pieces all fell into place to nail Steve Green - he would be going away for a very long time. Jane just looked satisfied that this case was almost over. If truth be known, he was greatly worried about Lisbon's state of mind.

Steve Green was sitting with his hands on the table in the interrogation room, facing the two-way mirror, slightly tapping his fingers on the table. Cho came in with the case file and a pad of paper and sat down across from him. He opened the file.

"So…why did you do it?"

"I didn't do anything…I'm innocent."

"Not according to the surveillance tapes from the garage you're not. Right now, you're looking at life for attempted murder."

"I never touched Leslie!"

"Who said I was talking about Leslie?"

Green slapped his forehead in his stupidity. He'd just fallen for the oldest trick in the book.

"No point in denying it, we have it all on tape. We also confirmed with the neighbours that they saw your vehicle around the time that she was assaulted." Green knew he was in deep, and tried changing the topic.

"How did you know that the red haired girl's car didn't need repairs?"

"Well, aside from the surveillance tape, we borrowed the car from the Santa Cruz Police Department, more specifically from their undercover officers - and it was in perfect working order. We then went to a "reputable" garage, and the car received a clean bill of health. So, in reality, you were going to fix a perfectly, fine car. We also did some research and found out that there are several civil court cases proceeding against you."

"So basically you set me up?"

"We didn't have enough evidence for a warrant at the time. We couldn't plant bugs in your garage, but we could plant them on the car. Then it was just a matter of waiting for you to confess to anything illegal. The fact that you admitted to assaulting Leslie topped the icing on the cake. But we are also charging you with padding charges, needless repairs, counterfeit parts and shoddy work. Altogether, you're looking at 75 years - if you don't get the death sentence!"

"But I didn't do anything…"

"Okay, if that's how you want to play it." Cho closed the file folder and got up, making his way to the door.

"Wait! What will you give me if I co-operate?"

Cho grinned slightly as he left the interrogation room and ran into Lisbon.

"I take it you heard all that boss?"

"I sure did. Great job Cho!"

Cho just smiled.

She grabbed a cup of coffee then sat down at her desk to finish the case paperwork. With any luck, they'd be back in Sacramento before nightfall. Rigsby was describing the chase to Cho and Van Pelt as Lisbon just shook her head.

"I'm amazed he didn't kill us!"

"Nonsense boss. It was just like a ride at Disneyland?" Lisbon turned to face him and hit her knee on an open door on the desk.

"Huh? What?"

Everything about the case hit Lisbon like a ton of bricks. As tears gathered in her eyes and threaten to run down her face, she thought about having to leave Leslie and the other kids with their father. She walked out of the office, knowing her team had things well under control. Right now, she had to get to the hospital. Lisbon stood at the curb and hailed a cab. Since the station was on the main strip - one came along in a matter of minutes.

"Santa Cruz Surgery Center please!" as she slipped into the back seat and closed the door. She thought she heard someone calling her, but it was soon forgotten as the cab took off.

Jane came out of interrogation, surprised at the fact that Lisbon wasn't in the office with the others.

"Where's Lisbon?" Rigsby looked up.

"I don't know - one minute I was joking about how the chase was like a ride at Disneyland and the next minute she left the office."

"Did you touch her knee at all?"

"No, I didn't touch her. But I think she hit it on the desk when she turned around to face me."

"What?! Damn!" Jane ran out of the office and saw Lisbon getting into the cab. "Lisbon! Wait!" Van Pelt was standing next to him.

"Jane…what's wrong?"

"Disneyland was the trigger word Grace. The fact that Lisbon hit her leg at the same time was a fluke. Now that she's no longer under the trance - everything that's happened will be hitting her at once."

"Oh crap! Where do you think she's headed?"

"I have a pretty good idea - don't worry, I'll take care of her."

She walked up to the nurse's station and flashed her badge.

"Teresa Lisbon, C.B.I. What condition is Leslie Adams in?"

"We brought her out of the coma earlier this morning. Since then, she's been remaining conscious for longer periods of time. She's in a lot of pain, but the pain killers we're administering seem to be making it tolerable somewhat. You can go ahead and see her if you'd like - but don't let her talk too much. We don't want her to pull her stitches. She's down the hall - Room 214."

"Thank you." Lisbon made her way down the hall, and through the window saw a teenage girl with bandages covering her neck, and bruising on her face. The door was already opened, and as she peered around the corner, she saw a pair of blue eyes looking back at her.

"Leslie Adams?" She confirmed the name with a glance at the tag on the bed. "My name is Teresa Lisbon and I've been working to find out who did this do you. We found out it was your Dad's boss - Steve Green. Your dad was trying to do the right thing, but he was being threatened. That's why you were attacked. But we caught him, and he's going away for a long, long time."

"Thanks for…finding out…who did this ….to me," whispered Leslie.

"It's the least I could do. But there is something else that I want to talk to you about. I know your father has a drinking problem, and that he sometimes takes his anger out on you and your brothers and sister. I also know that you would do anything to protect them."

A tear ran down the side of Leslie's face, and Lisbon grabbed a tissue to wipe it away. She grasped Leslie's hand and continued.

"I was a lot like you when I was younger - my dad was a drunk and used to beat my brothers and I constantly. I would try my best to protect them, but it didn't always work." Lisbon wiped a tear away from her eye.

Unbeknownst to her, Jane found the room and was standing quietly outside the door.

"One time I stood up against my dad, I was your age - and he beat me up badly. The reason why I'm telling you this is so you know that you're not alone - there are others who have been through what you have. I'm going to make sure that before I leave your father gets the help he needs. He's already taken his first step towards admitting that he has a problem. He'll get the best help possible for him to overcome his issues - so you'll never have to go through this again. Okay?"

Leslie just mouthed the word 'okay' while tears ran. "Thank you." Lisbon dutifully wiped them away as Leslie closed her eyes.

"We'll talk again later. I promise."

She turned and left the room, wiping at her tears. She saw Jane as she entered the hall.

"Come on Lisbon, we need to have a talk," as he held her hand and ushered her towards the elevator. He brought Lisbon back to her hotel room. He figured it was the safest place for her to talk without feeling embarrassed. He opened her door and ushered her in, then led her to the couch.

"Jane…what are we doing here?"

"Don't you remember our agreement Teresa? That I would hypnotize you only if you told me what happened to you when you were younger?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd take me up on it. I'd figure you'd just let it slide." "I would if I could. But the only way you're going to be able to move past this and handle similar crime scenes in the future is if you tell someone what happened. Unless of course you'd rather talk to a shrink?"

She threw him a dirty look. "That's blackmail!"

"No, it's not. I just want to help Teresa. You don't have to tell me everything, just the parts that affected you the most."

"Nothing happened." She knew he wouldn't believe it, she was just trying to make him go away.

"Really? You're going to try going that route with me?"

She took in a few deep breaths.

"Did you want something to drink? Beer, cola, water?" She stood up and walked over to the mini-bar and unscrewed the bottle of tequila she had bought a few days ago. She poured herself a shot of tequila, then drank it.

"I'll have what you're having. Here, sit down - I can get it." After he downed his shot, he sat back down on the couch, took the bottle and placed it on the floor between his feet.

"Really Jane…you're going to pull this on me?"

"You don't need alcohol to tell the truth Teresa. It's just liquid courage."

She was about to snap his head off, but instead took another deep breath and sighed.

"I know, you're right. I should talk about it - I just didn't want to bring it up again. It happened so long ago that I barely remember it."

"Until you got this case…"

"Yeah," she looked down and sat heavily on the bed. "Until this case."

"I heard what you told Leslie. That's why you had the reaction you did when you walked into the crime scene, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it was. Except my father was the one who did it to me, and he slashed my arm, not my neck."

"But there was more than just that incident, wasn't there? What else happened that you kept from your brothers?"

"Boy, you don't hold any punches do you?" she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, then slowly let it out.

"You promise not to tell anyone."

"Lisbon, need you even ask? You know that this stays between you and me."

She took another breath.

"My dad always drank too much. But after my mom died, he drank excessively. If there wasn't money for booze - he would find alternatives. It took me awhile to figure out why we kept running out of mouthwash, cough syrup or cooking sherry. After two years, I started to notice that his mind was going. He would sit in his chair and watch tv all day - sometimes he ended up peeing himself. I was always the one who cleaned up any messes. When he was really drunk - to the point where he couldn't even stand - he used to…he used to come onto me. He would call me by my mother's name and try to grab me in places where he shouldn't have. He never tried to sleep with me, he just wanted to be comforted by a woman."

Jane couldn't believe what she told him. He took a few breaths to reign in his temper.

"Come here Teresa," and he opened his arms. The tears that had begun to pool in her eyes overflowed down her cheeks. She was so touched by Patrick's sensitivity.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, it's not right."

"To be honest, I'd forgotten it. Buried it. I had too. If my brothers had found out…they were so protective of me." Lisbon straightened up and tried to wipe the tears from her face. "There are days where it's such a battle not to be like him. And then there are days where I just need to forget everything I've seen."

Patrick rubbed her back as she continued.

"I know it's not an answer to problems. If anything it causes more problems. I just hope that the team nor you see me differently because of it."

"Teresa, I happen to know that the team holds you in the highest respect. We all think that you're an incredibly strong person for what you went through in your childhood. You're a great boss, a terrific leader and an even better friend."

"Thanks Patrick. You don't know how much it means to me."

"Um, I do have something to confess. I already told the team. I was afraid that they would notice your drastic change in behaviour."

Lisbon was about to snap off his head, but instead took a few deep breaths. "What did they say?"

"They were happy I had done it. They saw how you responded to the crime scene, and were afraid that your reaction to Leslie's injuries were going to interfere with your job. Not that you would let it deliberately, but let's face it, you were a little wound up."

"You're right about that. I guess I did let this case almost get the best of me. Speaking of which, I need to see Jonathon Adams before we go back."

"Sure Lisbon." Jane and Lisbon went back to the police station, where she confirmed for her team that she was okay, and wanted to see Jonathon Adams. Cho went to holding and brought him to an interrogation room. Lisbon entered the room and sat down across from him.

"I don't know if you've been told, but we found out who assaulted Leslie…it was your boss Steve Green."

"That son-of-a-bitch," as he clenched his fists. "I'm going to kill him!"

"I didn't hear that! But I don't think you'll have to worry about revenge. He's confessed to everything, and looking at spending the next 30 years plus in jail."

"Really? He confessed? I never thought he would."

"Yes, he did. So you're free to go. By the way, Leslie was brought out of her coma earlier, and she's doing ok. She should be up and around in a week or two."

"You saw her?"

"Yes, I did. I also made her a promise that I hope you'll help me keep."

"What's that?"

"I promised that I would get her and the rest of your family some help to deal with your alcoholism." Adams hung his head for a moment, then looked back up at her.

"You'd do that… for us? Why?"

"Because I've been there, and I know the scars it leaves. You're still alive, there's still a chance to change things. Please, take this step and get the help. If not for you, then for your kids."

"I will. And thank you," as he stood up and walked out of the room. Jane came in few moments later.

"Nicely done Lisbon. Let's go home."


End file.
